ELLISVILLE – The newly launched AccelerateMS High School Workforce Welding pilot program that allowed three Jones County High School Seniors to earn Workforce Welding Certificates last spring also earned the Instant Impact Award. At the AccelerateMS’s 2024 Mississippi Horizons Innovation and Strategy Symposium, Jones College’s Business Development Manager for Workforce College, Becky Collins brought home the handcrafted Instant Impact Award trophy which recognized the contributions the High School Workforce College program is having on area industry and students.
“We were surprised to learn we were nominated for this award,” explained Collins. “Last spring, two students from Northeast Jones and one from South Jones High School earned the Workforce Welding Certificate at Jones College and went on to work in the field and one is also taking classes.”
Because of their success, more high school students in the region have access to this program. The Jones County Economic Development Authority’s Career Coach, Kalyn Patterson is recruiting students and exposing them to a world of options. Patterson explained partnering with Jones College’s Workforce College program for high school students was a very exciting opportunity for her and her students.
“Career Coaches fall under the AccelerateMS program as a tool to get high school students prepared for a professional environment after they graduate from high school. We were able to partner with Jones College to connect them to opportunities like this, where they’re gaining those credentials and building those skills to be ready for their career,” explained Patterson. “A lot of our high school students leave class early and to utilize that spare time we connect them to programs like this to earn these credentials and be successful.”
Jones College’s Workforce Welding instructor, Tracy Warden said students start out learning welding as a baseline for the program. They will also leave with the Forklift Certification, OSHA 10 Certification, and the nationally recognized certification, First Aid-CPR Defibrillator.
“This is all done in an effort to make them all more employable and more visible to employers,” said Warden. “Also, it lets students know they have options if welding isn’t what they want to do for a living. They can be a material handler and now, we have more programs high school students can earn certifications in.”
Currently, the High School Workforce College program supported by AcclerateMS includes fiber optic technician training, the utility line worker program, commercial truck driving and welding. For more information about this program call 601-477-5408 or email, workforce@jcjc.edu